Dane County, Wisconsin
Located in Wisconsin, Dane County has a population of 572,674 residents and a median age of 35.7 years, making it the #124 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $394,800, and the median household income is $89,975, which is 20% above the national median.
Demographics
Dane County has a population of 572,674, making it the #124 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Dane County is $89,975, ranking #299 out of 3,222 counties — 19.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 2.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Dane County is $394,800 (+40.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,398/mo and the homeownership rate is 57.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Dane County, 55.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 64.2% above the national average, ranking #51 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Dane County is 80.8 years. 13.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
12.0% of adults in Dane County smoke , 31.6% are obese , and 25.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Dane County is 2.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
7.7% of children in Dane County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 6.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Dane County is 84.7%. The mean commute time is 22.8 min, which is 17.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Dane County voted Democratic with a margin of 51.7%. The vote was 75.1% Dem / 23.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County, Wisconsin has a total population of 572,674, making it the 124th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Dane County is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Dane County is $89,975, which ranks #299 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.4%.
The median home value in Dane County is $394,800, 40.0% above the national median. Renters in Dane County pay a median gross rent of $1,398 per month. The homeownership rate is 57.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Dane County, 55.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 64.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.8 min.
Dane County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 75.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (6.1%).
All data for Dane County, Wisconsin comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.